The Meeting
by Sterling-Aster
Summary: The missing scene of how Roger convinced Rayleigh to join his crew.


One Piece One-Shot:

One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda.

The Meeting:

Rayleigh pinned the last of his laundry on the rope line and dumped the water in the wash bucket overboard; that done, he gave a hefty sigh and leaned backward with a hand to his lower back. He wasn't an old man, but if he wasn't careful, this back ache would render him such earlier than he wanted. A small chuckle escaped his lips, earlier than he wanted… his slight chuckle gained strength and became more of a proper laugh.

The winds seemed to laugh with him as they turned up the bearing of the sea, the waters splashed joyfully against the convex of the island he was anchored beside. Rayleigh adjusted his stance to aid his balance for the sudden movement under his feet; satisfied that his ship handled the waves without incident.

His new home, a ship he stole some time ago, rocked on the excitable waves with bubbly and energetic enthusiasm. The sea about him seemed more… jittery than usual, somewhat restless and anxious, like a child waiting for a long expected play time. The man shrugged, he'd known since childhood that the sea was a mysterious place, prone to moods that implied coming events and an almost mystical tendency for testing the strength of those who ventured out on her depths.

Having no way of knowing what was coming, Rayleigh deigned to do what he always had done with just such a circumstance; wait and see what happens. Satisfied with his decision, he went to the bow of his home and sat down, and while his ship paid service to the whims of the sea beneath it, Rayleigh took up his flask and one of his books and read the day away.

…~…

Roger decided that he liked this little town. It was a bit quiet for his tastes, but it was a decent place nonetheless. People waved to him even though they didn't know him, and he waved back or tipped his hat to them, as if he were a part of the quaint picture that the town impressed upon his mind. Feeling as if he belonged was a special thing; imperative, now that he thought about it. But belonging here was, though nice, not what he wanted.

No, he'd heard the call of the sea, therefore, land dwelling, or rather, land _belonging,_ was no longer an option for him. Not that he was complaining. But regardless, on land was where it all would begin.

His mind ceremoniously dubbed this little town as the starting point of his journey. This little town called… _anyway_, the name wasn't _really_ important right? As long as he remembered the place, that would be enough.

Now, to his objective; he needed a ship. Something small, there was only him right now, but something big enough to hold a few more bodies. Roger did not plan to be alone on his journey for long, after all. And where was the best place to look for a ship? The port, of course, and Roger made his way there.

There were somewhat tempestuous winds blowing about today, Roger grinned as the fervor of the testy atmosphere filled him with energy. Oh yes, this was definitely a good idea, but he needed to burn off some of this excitement; otherwise he'd scare people. He wondered just how expend this new energy boost when a particularly strong gust of wind almost blew his straw hat right off his head. Automatically planting a hand on his head to stay the hat, Roger watched stray leaves and grasses sweep past him on the breeze as they blew out of sight. This must be his lucky day. Roger was convinced; the gust took the loose debris over the sand dunes that framed the dirt path he was on, as if urging him to follow.

His grin turned into a smirk. It seemed the winds were giving him a hand today. Traversing the dunes would easily spend his energy. Test-lifting his hand off his hat, Roger was satisfied that no stray winds were trying to blow it off now, so he continued on and scaled up the dunes toward the port.

…~…

Rayleigh read the last sentence of the chapter he was on; he paused, trying to absorb what had just happened in the story. He smiled slightly, and glanced at the words before him. This book was semi-new, he'd bought it a few days before his previous living arrangements were effectively subtracted from his life, his book was one of the few possessions that escaped _that_ little episode, and in the chaos of finding a new place to live he'd not been able to pick it up for a while.

He took a sip from his flask, inhaling slowly as the liquid blazed a trail down his throat. The last sentence of this chapter made a particular statement that made the man wonder. It implied that all things happen for a reason. Good things, bad things, seemingly inconsequential things, the works. Rayleigh pondered that point with careful attention. His previous home was destroyed, that certainly wasn't a good thing, but now he had a new home, so now that he was at this new start stage in his life, what was the reason for it all?

He released an exasperated breath, since when did he allow a simple plot point in a story book to dictate whether or not certain happenings in his life were for a reason? "Maybe I've had a little too much of this stuff…" he muttered, looking at the flask in question accusingly. He shrugged after a moment, never mind his drink, he was just reading too much into the words of the story; simple as that. He put the book face down, open on its pages, so it would keep his place. He would just pick it up later and be mindful not to give fictional ideas too much credence in the future.

…~…

Roger meandered down off the dune and onto the dirt path again, feeling a little glum despite his attempts to keep those feelings at bay. None of the ships he'd looked at in the port were what he was looking for, and any that were close were manned by people he got bad vibes from. Usually he was one to overlook appearances, but bad vibes, especially from potential crew members was something he paid a most meticulously close attention to. He wanted good people on his journey, folks that would last, not community fodder.

He hummed considerately as he strolled along the path. Absently, Roger took his hat and began spinning its inner rim around on his fingers.

Maybe one of the ports farther down would have what he was looking for, if not then he would just buy a ship closest to his needs and find crew members later; he had to be flexible for what he had in mind…

Bolstered by this ghost of a plan, he perked up, and smiled as he rounded a bend in the path, and that's when he saw it.

A ship, anchored just off the drop off of the island's convex. The ship was a decent size, but it was the man sitting on the deck that drew Roger's immediate attention. The blond man sat in a relaxed posture, his feet kicked up on the ship's bulwark with a flask retreating from his lips. Roger stopped just a little ways from the drop off; he quickly perched his hat atop his head again and lifted a hand, excitement getting the better of him.

"Oh…"Roger hollered, but he dragged out the next word, "OH!"

Rayleigh flinched at the sudden noise and looked up. He noticed for the first time, the man with a black shirt and a straw hat on his head, standing on the drop off with a hand raised in greeting. Rayleigh responded with a questioning hum, wondering what the man wanted.

"Hey!" The man called, obviously excited, "that's a nice ship!"Rayleigh was glad that the distance between him and the stranger likely distorted the grimace that flashed across his face. He deduced that this man wanted him to take him somewhere, the bag slung over his shoulder was proof enough and people had asked before. So he decided to scare the guy off with the truth, who in their right mind wanted a criminal to chauffer them?

"I stole it." He said bluntly, and added, "My house burned down, so I'm living here."

Roger smirked, putting his hand atop his hat, "Yeah?" He said, "And what's your name?"If his hunch was correct, this guy would learn that he couldn't get rid of him that easy. But the fact that he had tried in such a way had already earned him good marks in Roger's book.

Rayleigh blinked, he'd just told this guy that he was a thief and he asks for his name next? Well, that was unexpected, "Rayleigh," he answered, deciding to play along.

A grin broke across Roger's face, good; this man, Rayleigh, wasn't ignoring him or blowing him off. There was a chance here, and he'd not let it get away from him, and he'd make sure Rayleigh knew it too.

"I'm Roger! I think we were destined to meet, Rayleigh!"There, that ought to cover it. It got the point across.

Rayleigh had been about to take another sip from his flask when this Roger person said those words. Pausing with his flask, his face was the portrait of incredulity, "Destined?"

Roger, his mind half made up already, expanded his invitation. His first crew member would know exactly what he was in for. "Do you want to turn the world upside down with me?"

Rayleigh frowned; did he hear that right just now? "Huh? The world…?"He said, and the smirk he tried to suppress broke as his laughter spilled unchecked from his lips. Half mockingly Rayleigh felt he had to ask. "Who are you and where you from?" This Roger guy was crazy, but at least he'd caught on to it. "Go away!" he finished with finality, and taking a dismissive drink from his flask.

Trying to dissuade him now, huh… Roger realized. No one would miss the enthusiasm he had with his next words. "Your ship is small but it looks like it could endure storms if you handle it right."You could hear the smile he wore growing as he added, "It's perfect for us to set sail in!" He'd decided then and there, he'd convince Rayleigh that he was meant to be his first mate, and they would sail together from now on.

Rayleigh flinched again; he realized belatedly that this Roger guy was going to be persistent. What was up with him? The blonde tried to shrug it off and said, "Us…? Set sail? Don't decide for me." Despite his tone though, Rayleigh decided to try exposing the guy. It was worth a try, "Why should I join you?"Maybe he'd catch this Roger off guard and he'd say something counter to his previous claims. That ought to make him leave; if he was exposed…

No such luck.

"Like I said," Roger answered, grinning like an idiot, "to turn the world upside down!"And his next statement declared his own sum up of Rayleigh's arguments, "Alright Rayleigh, let's set sail!"The hat-wearer's end-quote laughter revealed that he interpreted Rayleigh's refusals as acceptance regardless of said man's adherence to the contrary.

"I said don't decide for me," Rayleigh groused, officially annoyed. "That means no."

"No," Roger grinned, "It means that you haven't decided to say yes, yet."

Rayleigh, with some reserve that surprised him, pretended to consider Rogers words. "I've thought it over, just now," he stated after a moment in an even voice. Rogers grin widened, but what was that little spark in his eyes? No matter, it was time to drop the bomb-shell. "And I have decided to decline your offer; I refuse to join you."There, that ought to do it.

Roger's response was laughter. Loud and full, and it continued for a few minutes; Rayleigh wasn't sure if he should cringe or be confused.

As the laughing continued, Rayleigh started to get seriously annoyed. "What's so funny?"He asked waspishly.

Roger was taking deep breaths, with giggles and bouts of remaining laughter breaking through, but it was subsiding. Finally it settled enough for him to speak without much trouble, but in place of that annoying laughter was a twice as annoying grin on his face.

Roger breathed a ghost of that former laugh and locked eyes with the blonde, "I like you, and you don't let anything fool or influence you; not bad."Not sure how to respond, Rayleigh just listened.

"I'm going to enter this world's frontal view as a pirate, you see, and I want good people like yourself to stand by me. I reckon there'll be plenty of trouble along the way, so I want decent people who'll last."

The blonde, for his part, was half flattered and half bewildered. He set his flask down on the deck and sat up a bit. Wanting to fill the silence, he asked plainly, "How do you know if I'm that kind of person? We only just met."

"You tried to scare me off earlier by saying that you stole that ship." Roger answered, though his grin shrunk to a more thoughtful smile. "You admitted it, so that means you don't care what I think; that means you aren't influenced by people's opinions of you. And also, I think you checked to see if I'd take back what I said about the whole 'world upside down' thing, you were testing my word, and that means you won't be easily fooled."

Roger paused, a moment to gathering his thoughts, and then continued, "You look deeper than the surface. That's good, and it takes attention like that to see not only the buried good in others, but also the hidden bad. All I get from you is buried good traits. That's how I know. That's why I want you as my nakama!"

Rayleigh really didn't know what to say. Alright, so this Roger guy had bigger things in mind than a simple ride; so what!? Why did he care? "I still refuse."Rayleigh said, though his annoyed tone was gone.

Roger's grin returned at his words. "You'll join me. I know you will!" He said with a remarkable finality for someone deciding another person's fate, let alone a stranger's fate.

"I said no."Rayleigh reiterated, equaling Roger's finality, but he had a feeling that this was a losing battle somehow, not that he would accept that.

Roger laughed again, confident and settled, then informed his first nakama, "I'll be back tomorrow to see if you've changed your mind, Rayleigh!"And Roger waved good-bye to the blonde and continued around the bend in the dirt path.

Said blonde was unsure of how he was supposed to take the encounter. So that Roger person wanted to be a pirate… joy, so in other words, he wanted to die a harsh death and take a few hapless souls (apparently himself included) with him. Rayleigh pondered Roger's words for a moment.

Yep, the man was a nut-case. So he'd been right after all… or had he? That weird spark in Roger's eyes that he'd seen…

Wait, why did he care again? Rayleigh sighed heavily, not wanting to admit it, but to be thinking like that… he vaguely pondered whether or not he'd had too much of his flask.

He stood. "Thinking too much," He muttered, sourly. Glancing down at the book he'd abandoned a while ago and his mood seemed to get worse. Reading had gotten him thinking strangely earlier, and now thinking in general was getting him in that same position too; he was really off his game today! The waves rocked his small ship testily, but Rayleigh must not have taken it as such, "I'll take a nap, I think."

He was sick of thinking for now; he needed a reset. A nap would likely help this mess inside him settle faster.

…~…

Next day, and things were looking a bit gray as far as the sky was concerned. This time of year the weather could turn pretty quickly, so it was important to be prepared for the worst.

Rayleigh made sure to recheck the anchor rope; it had been fraying of late, so he was concerned about it breaking on him while he was out getting supplies. He didn't have much money to work with, so he had been using it purely for essentials, like food and such; even his flask was a treat he was babying. "Just don't break; not yet." He said in the anchor ropes general direction.

Usually he'd scold himself for being so tentative that he would stoop to talking to inanimate objects. As if the twisted tree innards could actually hear him and be moved… but today he was not one to be found giving fate, karma, God, or anything else out there any chance to prove he should have been less confident in luck.

So that's how he found himself strolling through the small village market. His mind constantly went back to his ship and the fraying anchor rope. Dread was not a common feeling for Rayleigh, but it couldn't be helped at the moment. His worst fear right now was going back to where he'd left his ship and finding it gone, with the anchor rope floating on the sea's surface. He cringed; maybe he should just buy a new rope for the anchor. He could fast a few days, but at least he'd have a roof over his head and a strong anchor rope to keep said roof where he parked it!

Distracted by worrisome thoughts uncommon to him, Rayleigh didn't notice that someone was watching him.

Roger had been about to call out to his new nakama, but the look on the man's face gave the future captain pause. Rayleigh looked troubled. For what, Roger wasn't sure. His eyes narrowed and he looked around discreetly, just in case, but saw no one who might be causing Rayleigh's obvious unease.

Roger willed himself to calm down. Nothing had happened yet, no use losing it now, but that didn't mean he wasn't concerned. Well, only way to figure this out was to ask, so that's what Roger did.

Rayleigh was just resigning himself to an arduous few days of fasting when a hand landed on his shoulder. Snapping out of his thoughtful trance he looked up and Roger filled his vision. Startled, his eyes widened, but then, recovering himself, his eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice was rougher than he'd meant it to be, but Roger didn't seem to notice.

"You looked upset," Roger said by way of explanation. "What's wrong?"

Rayleigh hadn't been expecting Roger's presence, though he did recall that Roger said he'd be back tomorrow to see if he'd changed his mind about joining him. Rayleigh just hadn't thought about whether Roger would make well on his words or not, and plus he hated surprises. Shrugging Roger's hand off his shoulder he answered, "Nothing, and I was just thinking, not upset."

It was Roger's turn to narrow his eyes now, he sensed the lie in Rayleigh's words, but the man's semi-blasé manner of communicating it seemed legit enough for Roger to assume that whatever was bothering the blonde, it wasn't _extremely_ bad. He was still suspicious, but that could wait…

"Hmm, then what are you shopping for?" Roger asked suddenly, changing the subject.

Rayleigh blinked; his mind blurred for a moment and then seemed to catch up. Shrugging, the blonde answered with resigned honesty, "an anchor rope. The one on my ship is fraying and could break any day now."

His words seemed honest enough to Roger, he smiled, "Well why didn't you say so sooner! I passed by a place that sells ship wares just a minute ago." And not waiting for a reply, he turned and signaled for Rayleigh to follow him "I'll show you!"

Rayleigh sighed, but needing the anchor rope badly, he followed without complaint even though he already knew the place Roger likely meant.

The blonde had been right. Roger led him to the exact place he'd been thinking of. A small hole in the wall place, the gloomy skies above did little as far as lighting went. It was very dark in the shop. Rayleigh scanned the isles and found anchor ropes on the third one he checked. A dusty sign that was face down on the ground in front of the displayed anchor ropes was dingy and looked to have been trampled almost an inch into the soft dirt floor of the shop. Rayleigh picked it up and flipped it over. And he immediately regretted it.

Last time he'd been in here he wasn't looking for anchor ropes; he was looking for a patch for one of his sails. So he had no clue as to the price for anchor ropes here; they were pretty steep for Rayleigh's budget even with his extra money thanks to the imposed fast he'd undertaken. This purchase would leave him with no money at all; he inwardly cursed his budget and lack of a consistent job to fix it.

A presence behind him caught his attention. Roger was strolling about the little shop without a care, that annoying smile still on his face. "Your ship looked like a 60 (480) foot rope would work; the waters in this area aren't that deep."

"I'm aware," Rayleigh mused thoughtfully, he wondered if he could get some sort of discount, though he doubted it; this place was a bit sketchy and he was sure that the sail patch he'd bought from here was highly overpriced. He would likely have to wait, or buy the smallest rope that was feasible for his ship; he didn't like it, but even a smaller anchor rope would last a bit longer than the one he had now.

"Good, Sir!" Rayleigh called to the owner of the shop. The wrinkled old man behind the make-shift counter looked up from the yellowing newspaper he'd been reading to his addressor. Rayleigh went on, "Your shortest anchor rope, what does it go for?"

The old man appeared to think about the question, though to Rayleigh, he seemed to be contemplating how he could overcharge without seeming obvious. "The shortest," he said gruffly, "it goes for 90."

"That's expensive…"Roger said, just loud enough to hear. The smile on his face shrunk, but his narrowing eyes sharpened. Rayleigh agreed, but he'd played this game before.

"I'll give you 50 for it." The blonde offered.

"Eighty," the old man immediately retorted.

"Sixty,"

"Seventy-five,"

Rayleigh frowned, "Sixty-five; final offer, old man. It's either that or nothing."With prices so high it was doubtful that the old man got many sales, so Rayleigh was comfortable haggling.

The old man contemplated the offer. His tell-tale frown showing that he wasn't excited about the lower price. He eyed the blonde critically, sizing him up, maybe he should insist on seventy-five… he was about to do just that, but then he caught sight of the Mugiwara youngster behind the blonde. The man's glare could surely have warped metal! Finally, the old man relented moodily.

"Fine, Sixty-five it is then."

Rayleigh nodded, "Thank you, Sir." He paid for the rope and then they left.

As they walked, Rayleigh seemed to relax the slightest bit. Sixty-five out of his already barely-there funds was murder, but he'd gotten unexpectedly lucky this time round. But he hadn't missed that intensity from Roger while the old man was considering his offer, what exactly had he done? Oh well, no matter now.

But he had to give Roger some credit, he'd be even more broke without whatever assistance he'd given back there. "Thank you, for whatever it was that you did." Rayleigh said with some reluctance. He didn't want to give this guy any leeway.

Roger, for his part, was taken aback by the words. But his smile was back full throttle a moment later. So Rayleigh had sensed it, interesting, and he'd been trying to be discreet about his dealings with that old man too… Rayleigh was sharper than he'd thought.

"It was nothing," he said grinning.

Alright, so he'd thanked him. Good. Now that that humane ritual was out of the way…

Accompanied by Roger, Rayleigh went about the market and bought basic essentials. The two didn't talk much, but Rayleigh was an observer by nature, and he could multi-task well enough, so under the guise of shopping, he discreetly studied Roger and took note of whatever the man let slip.

Roger appeared to be an honest and pretty simple person. He looked at whatever caught his fancy, which Rayleigh found that it was usually the more colorful and flashy things that did so. The man would also smile at anyone he made eye contact with. Alright, so Roger was a man who liked flashy or loud things, but was decent to the common person. But Rayleigh was curious about that intensity he'd felt in that shop earlier. Roger seemed decent to most people, but like everyone else, there were limits. That old man at that shop had looked spooked for a moment and Roger hadn't even said anything directly to him.

There was definitely more to Roger. Something deep that plumed to life occasionally, only it seemed to plume out so much it was palpable; just barely intangible. He was different Rayleigh decided, a type of different that was in a class all its own. Satisfied with his reasoning the blonde decided to stop his observation, he had a feeling that Roger was catching on and didn't want him asking.

Said man turned away from the blonde, pretending to look at something on display as they passed. It took Roger a moment to suppress that knowing smirk on his face.

Walking back to the drop-off where Rayleigh's ship was docked the two rounded the bend in the path, and there was—

Nothing there—

Well, nothing there when there was something expected to be there. But what was supposed to be there was adrift some ways out on the water.

"Oh, no…!" Rayleigh moaned; his worst fears had become reality. He put his supplies down and bolted for the edge of the drop-off. "Watch those, will you!?" he called to Roger. He didn't stick around to see whether or not he agreed to it, but Rayleigh was soon off the Drop-off and into the water, swimming to his runaway home.

Roger's eyes widened, wow…! Rayleigh could swim…

Rayleigh pushed himself as fast as he could go to catch his run-away ship. Finally, he reached the rope ladder that hung off the side and he pulled himself up. He immediately went to work. Oddly, the sails were missing, but he'd worry about that later. He had to get the ship back to the island. He glanced over his shoulder at the shore. Good, Roger was still there waiting.

When Rayleigh finally got the ship steered back toward the drop-off, he took a closer look around his ship and that's when he noticed the mess. Rayleigh wasn't a neat freak, but he did prefer some bit of order to things and now his home was the portrait of disorder. Things were scattered all about the deck of the ship. Puzzled, he poked his head in the door to the cabin and found the place was turned upside down.

That's when he realized he'd been robbed.

"Hey, you alright?!" a distant voice called. Snapping out of it, Rayleigh rubbed his eyes with frustrated resignation. He'd been robbed… the conspicuously merited irony was so obvious it was almost funny. He chuckled without real mirth and turned around.

The island convex was nigh ten feet away, he needed to slow the ship or he'd hit the wall of the drop-off. With mechanical movements Rayleigh moved toward the stern of the ship but he didn't find what he needed there.

The rode, the chain, the anchor rope, everything of that sort was just gone.

He stood there for a moment, in wonder, but then the reality sunk in. Without the anchor he had no way to slow the ship's approach, much less stop it. Uh, oh…

Rayleigh blurred into action. He was not losing his home again. He ran to the bow which was getting ever closer to the wall of the drop-off. Roger was still there waiting.

"Roger, toss me the anchor rope!" He hollered.

Roger didn't hesitate, he dropped his bag that he'd been carrying and scooped up the anchor rope Rayleigh had bought that day and chucked it toward the ship.

It was a good throw; Rayleigh caught it with ease. He quickly ran back to the stern, uncoiling the rope all the while. And he tied a hurried but decent knot around the ship's bulwarks through one of the scuppers. He then took the other end of the rope and jumped into the sea.

Roger cocked his head to the side, what in the world was Rayleigh doing? The blonde stayed submerged beneath the sea's surface for an uncomfortable amount of time for Roger. Why did Rayleigh jump into the water? He needed to slow the ship or he'd shipwreck on the drop-off. Roger's eyes scanned the ship, as if it'd give him the answers, and it eventually did in its own way.

Weren't the sails rigged last time he'd seen the vessel? No matter if Rayleigh had lowered them at night, he'd still be able to see the sails folded and tied down on the yard…

No way.

Roger looked around, and he spotted a book floating in the water not far from where the ship had been docked before… and the deck of the ship (he could see it now, it was so close) was more disorderly than last he'd seen it— the deduction was obvious.

A pit of very hot anger coiled in Roger's stomach. Smart thieves would take anything of value, the sails _and_ anchor included. Perhaps the only reason the ship itself was still there was because the thieves were island locals. Hadn't Rayleigh's previous home burned down? Now his second home was taking hits!

The said Rayleigh then surfaced. And the line of anchor rope suddenly went taut.

Roger then realized that Rayleigh must have secured the anchor rope around some rocks at the sea floor. For now at least, his home wouldn't be destroyed. Rayleigh was breathing hard and wearily clambered up the rope ladder back onto the ship.

Roger rounded up Rayleigh's supplies and picked his discarded bag back up and with a huff he sprinted the short distance and jumped the gap. He landed with room to spare on the deck of Rayleigh's ship.

The blonde sat on the side leaning against the bulwark, catching his breath. Roger put his load down and walked to the stern of the boat without a word. He checked the knot Rayleigh had tied first, tugging on it, testing its strength. It would hold. That done he leaned over the side and focused on the water, trying to see through its semi-turbulent surface to the bottom to where the other knots had been tied.

"It will hold, don't worry." Rayleigh informed him in a winded voice.

Roger glanced at the blonde. He didn't doubt him, but still… Rayleigh chuckled dryly (a weird contrast), "I haven't had to do that in a while." He said lowly.

Roger remained silent. And he watched as the blonde stood up, breathing apparently under control now. Rayleigh looked around his ship, seeing the messy chaos. He looked tired, but calm, "well," Rayleigh said, wanly, "I guess I'm back to square one."

Roger shook his head, a testament of his silent amazement. "You know, I was expecting frustration, irritation, panic, and maybe even some despair." he commented while tipping his hat down a bit, "Not that I'm complaining, but why aren't you angry about this? By your face, you look like this is even alright with you."

Rayleigh regarded Roger with an odd expression; something between amusement and irony. "If you think about it, this is probably some sort of divine chastisement for my crimes, or some universal equalizer of circumstances." Roger eyed the blonde curiously, prompting him to continue. "I stole this ship, remember?" Rayleigh explained, "And now I've been robbed in return, if you look at it that way, I really don't have anything to be angry about, since I had this coming to me."He walked to the supplies that Roger had brought aboard, but something seemed to catch his eye.

Rayleigh went to the starboard side of the ship and looked over the bulwark. Leaning over it he grabbed something out of the water and straightened again. Roger recognized the item as the book he'd seen floating in the water earlier.

The book was waterlogged. Perhaps if it was left out on a sunny day it could be salvaged, but that day was not today. The blonde wondered half humorously if the book realized its own ill fate. The last chapter he'd read ended with suggesting that all things happened for a reason. The ridiculous notion of whether or not the book itself understood that there might be another reason why it was water logged now brought a wry smirk to Rayleigh's lips.

"What is it?"Roger asked, seeing the smirk.

Not taking his eyes off the book Rayleigh said, "The last chapter I read in this book suggested that all things happen for a reason. It's just ironic, that such a thing containing that idea is all I really have left of my worldly possessions."

Roger took a moment to absorb the words. _All things happen for a reason…_ interesting concept, and something inside him liked the idea. But that wasn't the main focus right now. Roger looked up, "I noticed the sails earlier, and obviously the anchor and rode is gone, besides the most obvious, did you lose anything else?"

Rayleigh drew his eyes from the book and took a quick sweep of the area around him but then caught himself. He looked Roger square in the eye, meaning business, and said, "I'm not in the habit of accepting charity, Roger. I've lived on my own for years, I'll manage this setback just fine."

Roger's eyes narrowed, "No nakama of mine is going to deal with something like this alone."

The fact that Roger was still going on about that was a bit surprising. Rayleigh was in no mood to humor him at the moment, but he was too tired to lose his cool. "I recall declining that offer, and didn't I say not to decide things for me?"

"I'm not stupid, Rayleigh." Roger said seriously. Rayleigh blinked at the mood change, and when he looked at the man before him he saw that spark in his eyes again, but it wasn't tempered with humor this time. Apparently Rayleigh wasn't the only one who meant business now.

Roger continued, "I know you can handle this on your own, that was never a doubt in my mind. But just because you could do this alone doesn't mean you should have to. Don't be so stubborn. Besides, I'm not glad it happened, but— losing everything, it's also a way to start fresh, and now that you won't have to worry about divine retribution, you can use the boat guilt free."

Roger tipped his hat up and looked at the gap between the ship and the drop-off, "I'll be back later. You'll need more supplies than what you bought today." Rayleigh was about to object, but Roger sprinted for the bow jumped up on the bulwark and launched himself onto the drop-off, landing in a crouch. "I'll take care of it," he called as he walked back toward town, "Just watch the ship." And he was gone.

Bewildered at how Roger could just order him around like that, Rayleigh figured that he must be _very_ tired, considering that he'd _let_ Roger order him around like that.

On one hand, he was grateful for the help; he really was. But on the other hand, a less worthy side of Rayleigh had sneaking suspicions about Roger's motives in helping him so freely. Was he trying to make him feel obligated to join him, out of gratitude or some other angle? Rayleigh shook his head, dismissing the train of thought.

Roger was pushy, but Rayleigh had noted that the man appeared to be the type that wouldn't force anything unless he had to. Like with that old man at that shop. The old man was being unreasonable. Roger was perfectly peaceful until that old man started being ridiculous. And once the issue was resolved in a decent manner, Roger backed off. So the man obviously knew the limits, both with others and himself.

Rayleigh was positive that if he gave a truly legit reason for refusing Roger's invitation, Roger would leave him alone and move on; he wouldn't threaten or coerce someone into joining him. No, Rayleigh was quite sure Roger wanted him to join him without obligations forcing the bond; he wanted a willing and free volunteer. Also, Rayleigh was convinced that if Roger had had less than noble motives (the whole 'wanting to be a pirate' thing aside), he wouldn't hide them well, if at all; he hadn't hid his ire with that old man at the shop, or the fact that he wanted to be a sea-faring criminal, after all.

To be precise Rayleigh's first guess would be that Roger helped him both because, like he'd noted before, he was a decent person who was decent to common people, and because of some 'barely established loyalty' even to a potential crew member.

Rayleigh gave a decidedly undignified snort at the thought. A potential crew mate, oh please! He had enough to worry about as it was. Fate could really be cruel sometimes. With blindly applied, opportunistic frequency, fate had rid him of a home about twice now. First, of the physical home; the building, and now it was his possessions, the small things that made a home more like a home.

The winds blew the waves into steep whitecaps and Rayleigh's ship rocked along with them. A soft dripping noise rose above the din of the sea and through the blondes' introversion. Rayleigh glanced down and he noted the book he was still holding.

That last chapter… all things happen for a reason. Well, Rayleigh mused that fate certainly had his attention now, but what was the reason here? If all things happen for a specific purpose as this book implied, than what was the reason for all this? Little by little what was important to him was taken by forces beyond his control. It was like circumstances were deliberately severing him from his old life; but for what? He had a feeling it was for more than divine chastisement for his wrong doings.

…~…

It was nearer to evening when Roger returned to Rayleigh's ship. He walked a bit awkwardly and with a slight limp in one leg. When he got closer Rayleigh noted with alarm that he was covered in dirt and had a split lip and a badly scratched arm.

"My word—what in the world happened to you!?"

Upon hearing the words Roger smiled widely at him. "Ah, nothing grand, it was just a fight."

Just a fight… Rayleigh was inclined to believe that that wasn't _just_ what it had been. But before he could say anything Roger reached behind him, made a show of unhooking something and he drew it from behind his back.

Rayleigh was glad that he hadn't made the snarky retort about Roger's 'just a fight' claim. For the young man, grinning like a triumphant buffoon, presented a rusty, but undeniably familiar anchor. Rayleigh's anchor!

At Rayleigh's obvious shock, Roger said, confidently, "I caught one of the thieves trying to sell it to a merchant while I was browsing at the same place. The fool was actually bragging about it! Something about how he'd taken it from 'some loser's' unattended ship." At a loss for words, Rayleigh's eyes shifted from the anchor to Roger's wounds, there was more to the story and he waited for the young man to continue, which he did.

"Naturally, I confronted him about it, and the guy was less than cooperative with my wishes to have your property returned. He must have had a death wish because he tried to fight me then."Wait, 'naturally'? Rayleigh, a bit disturbed, thought, and did he just say the guy had a death wish…?

The account went on. "Long story, short, I won. That guy really didn't know what he was doing. Anyway, that isn't even the interesting part!" Roger said, suddenly excited, "The merchant shop that we were at, the owner, after the fight of course, gave me the sails that that guy had sold to him already, no charge! 'Wanted no trouble he said' isn't that great, Rayleigh? I know it isn't everything you lost, but these can at least get you moving again."

Were a random brick to suddenly hit Rayleigh's head his expression would be exactly the same. Roger had managed to get his sails, anchor, and the rest back all in one afternoon… words fail at such a prospect. And Rayleigh hadn't missed how Roger referred to the anchor and sails as _Rayleigh's_ property, and spoke of the ship equally as not his, but _Rayleigh's_ ship. He'd done all of this knowing that he might still outright refuse to join his crew…

It all seemed to fall into place in Rayleigh's mind; like a completed puzzle. His first house burning down, forcing him to steal a ship to live in, only to have all his possessions stolen in return, the things that connected him to his old life had been torn away, all this except for a shell of a ship and a book that claimed that everything happened for a reason.

Can't see the forest for the trees- Rayleigh's version of this was can't see your destiny for this common-life front.

All other distractions done away with, Rayleigh had barely anything left to claim. Well… barely anything to claim but a choice.

Roger's words came unbidden to his mind, '_losing everything, it can be a way to start fresh_.' He had almost nothing else; fate had made sure of that, why not start fresh? He had to anyway, so why not with a fresh acquaintance?

A smug smile split Rayleigh's lips. His decision was made. Roger cocked his head to the side, obviously wondering what the expression meant. "It's good you got them back," Rayleigh announced, and he waved a hand, indicating the ship as he continued, "because if this ship is going to enter the world's frontal view with you, we'd better have at least the basics, or we'll be the laughing stock of the sea!"

It took Roger all of three seconds to realize what Rayleigh was saying. Half laughing, half victorious proclamation, he replied, "Welcome to the Roger Pirates, First Mate, Rayleigh!"

And so, the Beginning Ended:

_Authors Note:_ I'm new to all this, so please disregard how slow I can be. This story has been in my head for a while, I was convinced that Roger would have to somehow prove himself to someone like Rayleigh and thus the story took shape. I really like One Piece, so I hope that I did these two amazing characters justice. Constructive criticism is welcome; I'm no expert so any helpful tips would be great.


End file.
